2023-08-27 06:30:26
The British star conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner (80) will not conduct the semi-concert performance of the opera “Les Troyens” by Hector Berlioz at the Berlin Music Festival. This was announced by the director of the music festival, Winrich Hopp, on Saturday before the opening concert with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Philharmonie. The conductor had to “cool off” after an incident in France, according to the somewhat cryptic explanation.
The background is an incident that disturbs Gardiner fans worldwide: The classic website Slipped Disc and the New York Times reported that Gardiner slapped singer William Thomas (29) backstage after he left the podium on the wrong side . Previously, Gardiner approached Thomas with a beer in his hand and threatened to throw the beer over his head. The situation then escalated, Gardiner struck, there was shouting, after which Thomas left the scene of the argument. The Guardian reports Gardiner was under particular stress due to the intense heat and a change in his medication regimen. Gardiner traveled to England immediately after the incident and consulted his doctors. He said he will not be performing again for the time being and now needs to figure out how this incident could have happened.
Gardiner issued an official apology and said he deeply regrets having “lost his nerve” in France on Tuesday, the conductor said in a statement. Gardiner: “I know that physical violence is never acceptable, and that musicians should always feel safe.” Gardiner wrote, “I make no excuses for my behavior and have personally apologized to Will Thomas, for whom I have the utmost respect. I would like to do this again and also apologize to the other artists for the inconvenience caused to them.”
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For the planned performances of “Les Troyens” in Berlin and Salzburg, his assistant Dinis Sousa will conduct the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchester Révolutionnaire et Romantique instead of Gardiner. This also applies to the tour stops in Versailles and at the BBC Proms in London.
Gardiner is a pioneer of historical performance practice. In May he conducted the coronation of Charles III. in London. The Guardian reports that Gardiner has often attracted attention for his uncontrolled and short-tempered behavior.
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